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As I type this article, I’m reminded of how much I love my MacBook Pro. It’s the greatest computer on the planet. It does have a few things in common with the inferior Windows PC: they both have a keyboard.

One button in particular caught my attention yesterday. “ESC” or the “escape” button. Since I work on a Mac, I have to use it around 90% less than my PC counterparts. But, none the less, it still offered me a little bit of comfort for some strange reason. I know it’s there just in case I get into something that I need immediate “escape” from on my computer.

Wouldn’t it be great if life came with an “escape” button? What a relief to know that if we got ourselves into something, we could just hit a button and we could get out of it and even start over as if nothing ever happened?

Through many difficult and painful experiences, I know all too well that life doesn’t work that way. I got myself into some real pickles that I may have thought at one time were just accidents. But just like when my Mac seems to have “screwed itself up” and I want to say it’s my computers fault, we don’t get where we are in life on accident either. Sometimes, things may “happen” to us because of our ignorance or that are honestly beyond our immediate control. But most of the time, things “happen” because of our choices and they do what choices do: they direct us to where we are today.  It’s more than just geography, unforeseen circumstances, lucky breaks or an “act of God” that forces it’s influence on us and that may be beyond our control. I’m talking about our heart and our character. They have the greatest influence in us. They direct our responses to the forces around us and are within our ability to choose.

No matter the resulting consequences, whether positive or negative in our estimation, our present reality is a direct result of living what we believe. What we do is what we really believe, not what we think or say we believe. There’s no “escape” from seeing the results of our beliefs being realized right in front of us – our integrity.

I’ve been pondering past and present decisions of my own in an effort to see where my actions didn’t connect with what I say I believe. Admittedly, there were a few responses that seemed to work in my favor upon first diagnosis, but in reality, were disengaged from what my affirmed beliefs would demand of me. Some of my most anxious responses were authentically “in line” with what I truly believe, but delivered a beating to my desired reputation, leading to emotional lethargy and a heavy heart that made even simple steps forward seem like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Sometimes it seems easy to stand for truth, justice and what’s right in the eyes of God. Sometimes the tension to escape can feel overwhelming as if our soul is being crushed. As we gain understanding and grow in our belief in Jesus, there’s no “escape” from the positive and negative repercussions that come with living faithfully according to what we say we believe. But, through it all, God is with us. His acceptance of us is not, and will never be dependent on our ability to be right. We are fully accepted because of Jesus and His ability to make us “righteous” in the sight of God (Rom. 3:21-23).

God is not looking for perfection from us, but obedience motivated out of love for Him. Through poor choices as well as good ones, there’s no evading the inner work that God desires to bring to shape our heart and character to be like that we see in Jesus. It’s inescapable. Because God knows the joy of authentic living comes, not from tranquil circumstances, but from transformed character that is free to find authentic expression, in spite of the tension to respond contrary to the character of God.

No matter what we discover about our character, God wants to teach us and shape us to be more like Christ in every situation we find ourselves in. Living for Jesus begins with believing Him (John 6:29). Learning from the Bible what God says is true about Himself and true about us is the most important endeavor we can embark upon. Our responses to what life brings our way will be an overflow of our growing understanding about who God is and who He has called us to be (John 17:3).

God brings forgiveness and offers redemption to the places in our hearts where our beliefs are not in sync with our actions. It’s what a loving Father does with the child He loves. As God reveals the gaps between our beliefs and our behavior, may we realize the lack of integrity in our witness, respond in humility to God and others we have offended and ask God to renew a right passion for Him in how we live so the world will know that what we believe is worth giving our lives for.

Do you believe what you live? When is the last time you’ve paused to take a look at how you’ve responded to what life has brought your way? What gaps has God revealed to you in what you say and what you do? Let our loving God shape you from the inside out, so you can experience the power a life of integrity can bring for God’s glory and your good.

What do you think?